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Health Anxiety My living nightmare!!!!
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Hi , first time here
as you’ve probably already guessed I suffer with health anxiety it all started 6yrs ago with a major panic Attack which required an ambulance and a stay in hospital as I really thought I was dying and new nothing about what a panic Attack was until that day , fast forward to now & cut a long story short I was diagnosed with a thyroid issue have been on medication now for a few years and it seems to be ok but it can sometimes play up which can increase my anxiety pretty bad when my levels are out I’m also on medication to try and combat the anxiety but sometimes when I’m really worried and anxious it doesn’t do a great deal . Like at the moment , about 6 weeks ago I was out with my husband and 2 year old and we were in a shop and I was literally fine talking away not thinking of a thing and then out of no where I got a very severe pain in the side of my head so bad I felt a bit sick and had to sit down it didn’t last long maybe 1min if that and it was gone had a couple of twinges later in the afternoon but nothing more after that and I have never experienced anything like it before as you can imagine for someone with health anxiety this has now caused me to think I have a brain tumour I thought not much more about after it happened and thought I was ok but last week I had a similar thing just not painful when I was driving my son to swimming I started to feel strange in my head and really foggy and kept zoning out and really struggled to sit through his lesson because I felt like something awful was about to happen , so now since last Tuesday I’m in a completely full blown anxious state and fearing the worst that I have a brain tumor as I have a sore neck and continue to have sharp pains on my head I don’t have headaches but I do feel off balance and really feel like I’m lacking concentration and my memory is shocking and getting stuck on words this is really worrying me I’m in such a state I do have an appointment with my doctor on Friday. I wish so MUCH I could just be normal and be like oh well whatever like when my husband has anything wrong he just doesn’t even think twice about it I wish so much I could feel the same but I just continue to go in a vicious cycle last month was esophageal cancer because I have reflux before that I was convinced it was my heart because my reflux was playing up I literally have had every test possible apart from a brain scan and all are always fine aside from my thyroid and low iron .
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Yes it’s always at its worst when I’m anxious & I think even when I’m not worrying about my health which isn’t often I think subconsciously I am so therefore it really doesn’t have a chance to settle down I’m on medication but it doesn’t do a great deal helps a little but not much & im not supposed to drink coffee or have tomato based meals but I do so I kinda don’t help my situation, but Ive really been slammed with some sort of chest infection so everything is sore from coughing but my osophagus is obviously irritated from coughing & the infection & my food is going down slow so I’m now so worked up that it’s osophageal cancer because all year since the gastroscope it’s flaring up and now I think something has grown since February or he’s missed something, I ended up going to his surgery today and getting a copy of the pathology report from the biopsy’s I already had been given them but I needed to see the paper & it says that I have esophagitis but I’m still worried .
Yes im like you I don’t believe the Dr I do at the time when I’m in front of them but as soon as I walk out I start straight away doubting them and then get into google.
I seriously hate this I wish I could just not worry & enjoy life : ((
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Hey Ash , yep AGAIN tell me about it , I know I would love to chat to you , I’m so over it this is getting me so down I am literally terrified it’s osophageal cancer as even tonight eating dinner my food was getting stuck going down or going down real slow and I can really feel it and my meds do nothing, my husband says that I’m probably still getting over my chest infection and it may have flared it up he thinks that if I go back to my gastroenterologist that he probs won’t do much because I only had a scope 10 months ago but as I said to him things can grow and that’s what I’m scared of even though they did biopsies so I don’t want to go and look like an idiot, but I’m going to as of Monday try a gluten free dairy free diet and cut out caffeine and see if it starts to settle down and yes I was thinking a naturopath too .
yes so many bugs at the moment, that’s great don’t be nervous all will be fine worst case scenario you may have to have a laparoscopy so they can have a look or even remove it it’s a minor procedure I’ve had two please let me know how you go .
I know I know my husband says the same and so does my doctor he gets pretty cranky about googling but it’s really such a part of this damn health Anxiety it’s like I can’t help it and I’m doing it without even thinking.
Yes I’m supposed to have done the same but when I take a higher dosage it makes me feel a bit to calm and I go really quiet and I don’t like being like that so I’ve just stuck to half , I was hoping I could ween off a few years ago but no still on the health Anxiety train ....
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So I went to my obgyn and I was shaking whilst she was doing my scan! I was so scared! She looked and looked and said there is nothing there! Whatever it was has gone! I’m so happy and relieved and I realise how much time I wasted just worrying and over thinking and stressing out about something that was going to diminish on its own.. we are literally driving ourselves into hysteria and a world of nearly impossible outcomes. I saw my psychologist straight after and it just reaffirmed how bad this health anxiety really is. We’re doing this to ourselves and that’s a hard pill to swallow. Please keep telling yourself that it’s your brain playing tricks on you. Keep reminding yourself you’re healthy. I suggest going to a naturopath. They can do a finger prick live blood test and see a lot from it. You have nothing to lose. Also have you done a full blood test? They are very telling also. Please let me know how you go. You’re not alone. We’re all in this hell hole together and we will slowly dig our way out! Please promise yourself to stop Dr Google! That has been a huge help for me. I’m also going on an hour walk and it clears your mind. We have so many positives in our lives but this anxiety makes us only focus on the negatives. Take it easy and please stop stressing even though I know it’s sooooo hard.
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Hi, have been thinking about you hope you’re doing well. If you read this please let me know how you’re going. I did well for a while and for the last few days have been back on the health anxiety nightmare train!
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Hi Ash
Health anxiety really is a nightmare isn’t it! Just read a few of the most recent posts here...and can relate 😞
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Hi annie, thanks for getting in contact. It really is hell to deal with. Currently I’m convinced i have breast cancer god forbid. There is no lump and I had an ultrasound last September that was all clear thank goodness but this time they are itchy, a bit of tingling and one feels different than the other.. good ol dr google says Pagets Cancer OMG! I’m currently at the dr (not my local gp) and I feel like walking out.. unless they look at it on ultrasound I’m not certain.. if it’s not one thing it’s the next... I wish I could wish it away..
how are you what seems to ‘trigger’ your anxiety?
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Hi Ash
I hope you got some reassurance from seeing the dr?
For me anything and everything can trigger it when I'm more stressed than usual. Different pains or twinges in my body can make me anxious - counselling is helping (and I did an online course through This Way Up on health anxiety).
My shoulder muscles are often tight and that used to make me anxious (that it was connected to bp or heart) but have recently come to realise it's stress, posture etc and I'm coping with it better. Once they really tighten up though then it extends to neck and back muscles. (yoga, breathe, meditate!!)
Recently I've been having digestive issues and I've had a scope, seen my gp and a specialist but when I get indigestion it makes me anxious...
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Hi Annie,
Saw a dr yesterday who said because I had a ultrasound in September last year that I don’t need another one for another year atleast because I’m ‘under 40’ and that NO it was ibc or Pagets (type of breast cancer). Because there is no lump I assumed it had to be one of them.. she looked me dead in the eye and said why don’t u trust me I’m a professional and have seen so many women who have BC and you don’t...
i am really thinking about this. Why don’t I believe them until I do a scan like how messed up is my brain as if a dr would let me go if she thought I was sick?! And still the thoughts come and come..
i also had indigestion/get indigestion when I’m anxious. I went and saw a naturopath who gave me stuff for it and it helped and it goes away when I’m good and comes back when I’m anxious like I am now. I also have no appetite so eating is out of the question. I’m glad you did an online course.. I have an appointment with my local dr Wednesday and my psych too although I don’t think it will go away for some reason I have no hope? My husband took me out this morning trying to get the focus off it but it was still there lingering in my mind...
arrrgghhh it’s so frustrating. Please don’t be worried about ur indigestion atleast u did the scope I was too scared too! Try to see a naturopath they are wonderful with digestive issues. Also my dr said one blood test a year is great; blood work show up plenty of things.
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Hi Ash
Thanks so much for your reply. I think a lot of us have trouble believing everything is ok even though a dr told us. If we've had multiple opinions like that, or tests that back it up, I guess we really have to though 🙂 and hopefully the psych can help you with that.
The psych I'm seeing helped me re the tight shoulder muscles...today's appt was pretty emotional and draining though so I've been feeling yuck all day.
Thanks for the tip re naturopath, that's a great idea specially since I dislike going to the dr so much ha ha. I did have a blood test not too long ago too so that's also good to know, thanks.
